See why Calvin College thinks a degree in public health is worth pursuing

MLive.comCalvin College is launching an undergraduate program in public health this fall, which Calvin says is the first program of its kind in West Michigan.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- As administrators at Calvin College watched the health care industry throughout Michigan – and Grand Rapids – grow over the past five years, they saw an opening for a new kind of program: an undergraduate degree in public health.

Public health degrees have traditionally been offered at the master’s level, but Calvin saw an opportunity for undergraduates to pursue a degree that could lead to numerous careers including health administration, health education and environmental health.

“It’s belonged historically to master’s programs,” said Cheryl Brandsen, dean of social sciences and contextual disciplines, who helped design Calvin’s program. “Now we’re seeing undergraduate programs think about it in an undergraduate way.”

In part, the shift has occurred as educators recognized that undergrads could help fulfill the need in what Calvin says is an emerging field with a strong demand for workers, Brandsen said.

She says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates job opportunities in public health related fields are expected to grow faster than other fields.

Jobs for health educators, for example, are expected to grow by 37 percent over the next decade, which is “much faster than the average for all occupations,” according to the agency.

The program, which Calvin says is the first of its kind in West Michigan, is slated to start next fall.

Brandsen says public health is an important discipline within the overall health care industry. In part, it aims to find solutions to some of the industry’s biggest problems, such as reducing the number of Americans with diabetes and obesity.

“We need programs that will prevent some of those things,” she said. “It’s not only good for people – it keeps them healthy – economically, it makes sense.”

Calvin is hoping to forge relationships with Grand Rapids area health care providers and other institutions and create internships and on-the-job experience for students, Brandsen said.

The college is also hoping to create an advisory board of professionals working in the public health field to advise administrators on how to improve the program.

“They could help us think about our curriculum, what we’re doing well, and what we need to work on,” she said.